Digital News Report – The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft of data that was collected from well water in Pavillion, Wyoming. The EPA was tasked with investigating the safety of the drinking water after there were complaints by local residents. The investigation was to determine if fracturing for natural gas contributed to the water contamination.

Certain chemicals are used in the fracturing of the bedrock. The EPA conducted two deep monitoring wells to get water samples from the aquifer. The initial results found that the aquifer ground water contained compounds that is used with the hydraulic fracturing process.

Additionally, the EPA tested private and public drinking water wells throughout the community and found chemicals related to hydraulic fracturing.

The EPA has released their initial findings to get public input, and they will submit the data to an independent scientific review panel for assessment.